Jet Plane: How It Works

It weighs as much as 100 elephants, but it can fly for hours. How does a jet do that? From the engine that provides the power and wings that lift the plane off the ground to the cockpit controls and passenger cabin, see how these modern marvels work and what makes them stay in the air.

Hardcover

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Overview

Go on an airplane ride.

It weighs as much as 100 elephants, but it can fly for hours. How does a jet do that? From the engine that provides the power and wings that lift the plane off the ground to the cockpit controls and passenger cabin, see how these modern marvels work and what makes them stay in the air.

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Editorial Reviews

Children's Literature - Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz

The jacket/cover's image of part of the front of a jet plane showing engine, wheels, and under wing apparatus makes an inviting graphic invitation to learn "how it works." On the double title page, in the foreground, a young boy with a knapsack looks at a jet taxiing to its assigned place. Later, the text speaks directly to the reader, asking, "Isn't that your suitcase?" as a small red arrow points to one on the loading belt. This tone makes the brief text accessible as it describes the many technical operations that make the plane fly. Colored drawings fill the double pages with naturalistic people; a cutaway picture of a crowded cabin interior shows passengers settling into their seats. An unhappy youngster cries near an anachronistic old man drawing with a quill pen, looking a bit like Leonardo. We experience the flight from the take-off, with a female pilot in the cockpit, and with clear depictions of how the plane operates along with the assorted necessary parts that make it fly. The plane turns to avoid bad weather, lowers its wheels to land on the runway, and arrives at the gate. Time to disembark. This book from the "My Readers" series includes a glossary, index, and further sources. Reviewer: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz

School Library Journal

Gr 2–4—Beginning, fluent readers with an interest in aviation will treasure this title. Simple narration explains the sights, sounds, and mechanics of a flight from a passenger's perspective. Readers are invited to look for his suitcase (marked with a red arrow) going up the loading ramp, "notice the cockpit," and look through the window to view the runway and the flaps on the wing. Simple yet detailed drawings explain how the wings provide lift for the plane and change its direction and that the force of air through the engine provides thrust to carry the plane through space. One spread depicts the function of radar by day and night. The beautifully colored illustrations beg for repeated viewings and a larger trim size, but the narrow lines of text in an early-reader format will help children feel comfortable with the information and new terms introduced. Whether this is shelved in nonfiction or beginning-reader collections, it will find an appreciative audience.—Laura Scott, Farmington Community Library, MI